The Mauch Chunk Historical Society recently awarded a $500 scholarship to Bronson Ford, a 2013 graduate of Jim Thorpe Area High School, for his appreciation and knowledge of history.

The scholarship is based on an essay contest in cooperation with the high school's history department.Ford wrote his 500-word essay about the town of Mauch Chunk during the Civil War, acknowledging the 150th anniversary."I've always had a love for history. I'm proud to call myself a history buff," Ford said.He currently attends Penn State University, where he is majoring in economics and history.Helen Van Pelt, president of the Mauch Chunk Historical Society, said that the essay is meant to acknowledge a student who goes out of his or her way to preserve the town's past."We like to get kids involved in the history of Jim Thorpe," she said."Both the society and the (Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center) work to preserve our past, and give it a future," said Bill Allison, vice president of the historical society.